ALPINESTARS GP PRO SUIT

TESTED BY: Bruce MILES: 6,000 TIME: 2 years PRICE: £1099.99 WEB: www.alpinestars.com TEL: 0039 0423 5286

I really like this suit. It looks smart, fits well and comes highly-sp ec’d. I’ve had it almost two years now and it’s weathered well, with no signs of fatigue or frayed stitching. It’s really hard to fault, with my only criticism being the price. At a hundred quid the wrong sides of a grand it’s not the cheapest of cowhides on the market, but I guess you’re getting a considered and durable suit for your dollar. It’s really well vented and when you factor in how many Kevlar zones, stretch panels and double panelled sections it has, it’s not particularly weighty and the preformed design meant that it was comfortable right from the off. It’s stretched a bitt over time, but it’s definitely not got baggy – or maybe I’ve just got fatter?

The GP Pro’s airbag compatible, but it doesn’t come with Alpinestars’ coveted TechAir system as stock. It does have loads of armour in it though with CE

certified protection in the knees, elbows and shoulders. There are also hardened plastic areas on the outside of

the suit ( knees and should ders), called Dynamic Friction Shields, that make you look more ripped than you are and encourage sliding rat ther than aggressive frictional gripping if you do lob yourself down the road. I’ve somehow not yet christened this suit, but it’s nice to know such features exist .

The suit’s inner 3D mesh is comfy on your skin, but I always wear an undersuit anyway. One of the suit’s best features is the inside breast pocket, wh hich you can fit a decent amount of crap in ; phone, small wallet, lipstick – the usual. There’s no ba ack protector as standard, but

there’s a clip in feature should you buy Alpinestars’ Nucleon KR-R back protector. Personally, I’ve not, as I’ve just used my trusty Foorcefield L2K Pro, which has worked faultlessly. Just like the suit.